Unconditional Love
by derivereine
Summary: Natalia has always been there for Jeff. Jeff has always been there for Natalia. What happens when events tear them apart? One shot. Jeff and OC.


This is stemmed directly from me finding out Jeff lost his IC Title via Britt and Becky, the latter of whom told me he was suspended.  
He's missing Wrestlemania, and the biggest match of his career all because he wanted to do drugs.  
He's throwing his career away- WWE will have no faith in him after this suspension, which will either cause him to do more drugs and get fired or it will light a fire under his backside to get noticed again.  
I'm distraught over this news, all I want is for him to be the best and all he's doing is damaging himself and his reputation, throwing away respect for himself which he's garnered over the years.

Of course, I began writing this before his house burnt down.  
Poor guy.

Charlie xo.

* * *

Jeff stared at the lights as Chris Irvine, his longtime friend, held up his newly won Intercontinental Championship.

Before the match, the entire locker room had been notified of his impending suspension for 60 days.

He watched as their brains worked with the calculations and then as they looked angry, upset or disappointed.

He'd be missing Wrestlemania 24, the biggest match of his career. He was on the fast track to the WWE Championship, after winning Money In The Bank, he was going to cash it in against Paul 'Triple H' Levesque and was going to win, cleanly and equally, his first WWE Championship.

Slowly, he made his way to the back, wanting to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible. As he passed face after face on what seemed like the walk of shame, he encountered one different to all the others. 

"Hey." He smiled at his friend of two years. When she had first come to the WWE, she was green to their politicked way of working, a fresh faced indie fed girl. Now a seasoned woman and one of the top Diva's, she understood every detail of the company, every aspect, perfectly.

"Come with me" She took his hand and led him to her dressing room- frayed connections with most of the Diva's caused her to dress alone.

She practically threw him into the room as she slammed the door behind them "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"

Jeff's eyes bulged "God, Nat, could you shout a bit louder? I think there's somebody in the 52nd row who didn't hear you"

"Coming from the man who's drug and alcohol addiction is being made public tomorrow" Natalia spat back. Jeff was her best friend, her rock and she didn't want to see him waste all of the talent that he had left by constantly being suspended or fired.

"What?" Jeff began to pace the room "How will everybody know?"

Natalia rolled her eyes "You're a dumbshit, Jeff. WWE lets everybody know through the official website."

"Really?" Jeff sat down again and raked his hands through his multicolored hair "Since when?"

"Since about 5 months ago" Talia sat opposite Jeff "You do realise you're jeopardising my career as well as your own, right?"

"And how is that, oh selfish one?" Jeff quirked his left eyebrow and rolled his eyes

"How dare you!" Natalia screamed "I'm selfish? I'm the selfish one? In case you hadn't noticed, you're costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost sales because you wanted a hit! You've thrown away a long term storyline which would've made me Women's Champion!"

"See? Selfish" Jeff pointed out causing Natalia to look at him with a mix of hurt and pity in her eyes

"Jeff? This thing I have for you, it's called unconditional love. So you can get up and leave and come back with the exact same attitude and I'll have no choice but to love you. Or, you can come back better and I'll want to love you" She opened the door for him and leant against it "I'll see you soon. I'll be at Shannon's this weekend, my tattoo is finally drawn up. I'll talk to you then."

"Great" Jeff grumbled and fled the room as quickly as he could. Natalia could be so dramatic sometimes.

* * *

"I just talked to him, Matt. No, he didn't seem bothered. Yes, I'll be there this weekend." Talia's phone had rung almost immediately after Jeff had practically run out of her room "Alright. Love you too, bye"

She sighed and ran her hands through her long hair. Jeff was throwing everything away on something he swore he didn't depend on.

This was the beginning of the end, she was sure of it. This was Jeff Hardy going back to 2003.

"Hey babe" Adam 'Edge' Copeland stuck his head around Natalia's door "Have you seen Jeff?"

"He just lefT" She mumbled "I wouldn't find him if I were you."

"I just want him to know that I'm here for him, that's all. Can I come in?" Adam asked, his weight pushing on the door making it swing open

"Sure." Talia smiled at Adam as he came and sat next to her, the door swinging shut behind him

"Try not to worry so much about him, Tal. He's a law unto himself" Adam soothed, stroking her recently dyed brown hair. She already hated it and was having it stripped back to her natural blonde tomorrow.

"I can't help it, Adam. I love him to death and I'm shit scared that one morning somebody's going to tell me he was found dead due to an accidental overdose or something."

"You're so dramatic Tal" Adam shook his head with a slight chuckle "Jeff's not stupid."

"Isn't he?" Natalia laughed "Tell me, isn't this the stupidest thing he could've done at this moment in time?"

Adam considered this for a moment "Yes."

* * *

_That weekend_

"Hey Tal" Shannon drew out the 'l' in her nickname as she walked into Gas Chamber Inc "Jeff isn't here"

"Excuse me whilst I act real surprised" Natalia rolled her eyes "I'm done"

"Oh, so sarcastic" Shannon laughed "Where were you Friday night?"

Talia twisted her mouth "I spent the night at a friends"

"Cool. Do you want to get started? I have the design right here" Shannon smiled and picked up the paper "See?"

"That's hot Shanny" Talia laughed and spun around as she heard the door to the shop open "Oh. Hi"

"Hi in a disappointed tone to you too, Natalia" Jeff snorted

"Guys, I don't know what you said to each other, but can you just leave it? Please?" Shannon pleaded with his two friends who simply shrugged

"Whatever" Natalia sighed "Go overdose, Jeff"

"Yeah, because you'd really want me to" Jeff simply "You admitted that you love me Natalia"

"And that I can't imagine life without you?" Talia spat back, her eyes shining with tears "Because if I didn't mention that then, I'd like to make it clear now"

"I need a fucking drink." Jeff waved to Shannon "Later, man."

* * *

Jeff had returned from his suspension a week ago, but this was the first time he would be wrestling in two months. It didn't help that the show was tri-banded and the boys were eager to see if rehab had worked.

"Hey, man" Jeff smiled at Chris, the first person to greet him. Chris smiled back and took in Jeff's appearance; Tanned, healthy skin, a redness to his cheeks and a bounce in his step. His hair was left its natural blonde hue and his eyes shone with enthusiasm. 

As Chris led him into catering, he watched as his friend greeted the assembled roster, some in a friendly nature, some in a respectful nature and a couple in a civil nature, most notably Adam.

"How was it Jeff? You look great." Candice smiled at her friend as he began to fill her in on the details

"Have you spoken to Natalia?" It was Randy's seemingly innocent comment that pissed all over Jeff's parade.

"No, we haven't spoken since my suspension" Jeff answered quietly "How is she?"

The room exchanged glances as they waited for somebod to speak up first. Eventually Paul stepped forward and rested his large hand on Jeff's right shoulder;

"Jeff, Tal got into a car wreck a couple of weeks back. We thought you knew"

Jeff glared at his brother and Shannon "You kept this from me!"

"She didn't want you to know. She figured that if you cared about her then you'd ask." Shannon explained "She's awake now and expected to return to the ring in a month or so"

"Which hospital is she at?" Jeff picked up his bag and the keys to his rental "And how long will it take me to drive there?"

* * *

"Natalia? You have a visitor" Talia's nurse popped her head around the door

"Thanks, let them in." Tal shifted a little in the bed and pulled herself up slighty, so she was at least in a sitting position

"Hey Nat." Jeff bit his lip ring as he shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable

"You may as well sit down. Who told you?" Natalia gestured to the seat next to her bed as Jef looked shocked "I'll put my money on either Ken or Randy."

Jeff allowed himself a smile "Randy."

"Ah, I see. I'd of have to of been dead for you to take any notice of the news, wouldn't I?" Talia quirked her left eyebrow at Jeff "I've been worried about you."

"So's a lot of people, Tal"

"Yes, but me more so. I'm your rock, Jeffro, and we'd fallen out. Going into one of the most trying times of your life, you needed me." Talia studied her hands "Or I thought you did"

Jeff reached for her hands and she let him take one "I do need you. God, when my house burnt down, I needed you more than ever"

"Yeah. How's the rebuild going?" Natalia's eyes didn't move from her hands, concentrating on him stroking the back of her right hand.

"Pretty well. They say that it was an electrical fault that caused it, like hair straighteners or something" Jeff forced himself to smile

Tal reached up and ran her left hand through Jeff's hair "Not yours, I take it?"

"No, not mine. Beth's. I don't blame her though."

"Yeah, that's pretty fair." Nat's voice sounded empty "I missed you."

"Yeah."

"Jeff, why are you being so uptight with me?" Her voice was now pleading with him, pulling at his insides

"Because you make me feel things again, Talia, things that I'm trying to shut away"

Nat raised her head and locked eyes with her former best friend "Until next time, right? Get out, Jeff. Get out"

* * *

_The Slammy Awards_

It had been announced that number of videos concerning the roster's personal lives were to be shown after the televised and in kayfabe awards had been dished out. After the cameras went off, the real awards began.

By now, the majority of the room was pleasantly drunk and hushed each other when the lights went out and the videos played.

The first video was of Ashley and Paul to the song Tears Dry On Their Own by Amy Winehouse. It was intended to make Ashely feel better about herself and to get over Paul, but it had the opposite effect.

She ran out crying, causing Paul to laugh out loud at his ex girlfriends pathetic personality.

Natalia liked Ashely and hated Paul now by default so she angrily stood up "HOW DARE YOU LAUGH? HOW DARE YOU? SHE MOVED ACROSS THE FUCKING COUNTRY FOR YOU AND YOU JUST UNCEREMONIOUSLY DUMPED HER BEFORE VALENTINES DAY! YOU'RE A PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A MAN. GROW UP!"

As she sat back down, angry that she'd creased her expensive Marc Jacbs dress, she was cheered by the majority of the Divas who had a newfound respect for her after she'd returned from the car crash.

Of course, every one of Nat's good moods had to end sometime.

The second video was of herself and Jeff to Monica's version of What Hurts The Most. Unlike the previous video, theirs had actual video clips of them outside of the ring, messing around on The Hardy Show, joking around and goofing off in general. The final video footage was of them arguing in Shannon's tattoo parlour, something that, thankfully, hadn't been shown on the show.

Following the footage, photographs of Nat and Jeff flashed onto the screen, each of them depicting the relationship between the two of them.

'_And not seeing that loving you was what I was trying to do'_

Jeff and Natalia stared at the screen as two words faded onto the now blank screen.

Unconditional Love.


End file.
